C3 heater problem

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myglaren
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C3 heater problem

Post by myglaren »

My daughter has a C3 - not sure what engine etc but probably immaterial.

The heater control has always been a bit 'sticky' - it would turn a bit then had to rest a while before turning further.

Last week she came to me to look at it and to the exhaust - she had driven through a flood and there was a rattle from underneath that turned out to be a heat shield come loose - can't get the car high enough to crawl underneath and fix that but no matter.

The heater control presents the biggest problem as of course it is stuck on cold and the car is freezing now and there is the condensation problem.
It does have aircon but that hasn't worked since she bought it about three years ago.

I've done a bit of dismantling but unable to get it moving - I presumed initially that it was a kinked inner cable as per Xantia but that seems not to be the case.

Removed the oddments bin thing and pulled some trim off the passenger footwell and can feel that the control does operate an arm on the side of the heater box, even seems to be at the limit of travel, but no actual warm air coming out.

I did take pictures but have had no internet connection for over a week and can't remember where I downloaded them now, certainly not on this computer. Will add them later.
I'd be grateful to know if anyone else has had this problem and resolved it without resorting to a dash out job to access the heater box. Even a bodge to get it hot for winter and a proper fix next year.

It is a 58 reg C3 Cachet - i.i petrol I think. VIN VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
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Re: C3 heater problem

Post by myglaren »

Found the rather rubbish photos.
IMGP1632.JPG
IMGP1629.JPG
The blue cable operates the blue plastic arm that presumably moves a flap in the heater box.
It was working a few weeks ago when I took her car to have a wheel bearing replaced but has likely been returned to the cold setting in the meantime.
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Re: C3 heater problem

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Hi Steve

There is very little info on the heaters of these.
Steve C3 Cables.PNG
Steve C3 Heater A.PNG
For your model the first diagram applies and shows the cables. On the second diagram, your C3 only has part (2) - the Heater Motor Control Module. It doesn't have parts 3, 5 or 6.

If the cables are operating, are you sure it isn't the heater motor control module (2) that is faulty? Remember this vehicle does not have the air resistance heating (6)
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Re: C3 heater problem

Post by myglaren »

Thanks Marc!

The hot/cold knob turns but there is a lot of resistance in it.It was normally difficult to rotate to the 'hot' position but now the opposite is true.
It appears to be in the hot position but who knows.

Your suggestion of the heater control module is certainly worth investigating though.
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GiveMeABreak
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Re: C3 heater problem

Post by GiveMeABreak »

In a way Steve, the 'mechanically' as opposed to 'electrically' operated flaps should make it easy to eliminate failed motor units - as this one doesn't have any. If the cables are operating freely and are not disconnected, I can only assume that the either the gear cogs that the cables are working on are worn, resulting in the flap remaining in one position- but if this was the case I would expect the cable to be moving very loosely as there would be hardly any resistance if the gear cog was worn.

So if you try and pull the cable manually (as per your photo) does the flap move? I'm trying to ascertain whether the other end of the cable (the end in the control module on the dash) has got fouled up... in other words the control knob is turning, but not actually pulling on the cable itself. It might be worth looking inside the heater control panel to see if the cable has come out of the winder mechanism.
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Re: C3 heater problem

Post by myglaren »

Turning the knob does result in the arm moving but only about ⅔ of its full travel.
I was presuming that the cog that drives the flap had stripped but this is probably not the case. The arm is fully on the 'hot' end of its travel.

Looking more like the blower control.
Will try and get a look at it tomorrow but weekends are the only time daughter uses the car.

I am only at work on Monday so should be able to test it on Tuesday.
She needs it on Thursday to ferry some of her staff to different hospitals for meetings so I may have to make mine presentable for her instead :)
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C3 1.6 HDi Exclusive Aluminium Grey (The Silver Hornet)
C5 MK II 2.0 HDi Exclusive Obsidian Black
C5 MK I 2.0 HDi SX Wicked Red
Xantia S2 2.0 HDi SX Hermes Red
C15 Romahome White
XM 2.0 Turbo Prestige Emerald Green Pearlescent
XM 2.0 Turbo Prestige Polar White
XM 2.0 SX Polar White
CX 20 Polar White
GS 1220 Geranium Red
CX 2.4 Prestige C-Matic Nevada Beige
GS 1000 Cedreat Yellow
x 5646

Re: C3 heater problem

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Ok, well the part (2) is 6441Q8 Steve in case it's this - but it is VERY sensitive as the resistor is right at the end and looks very easy to break.

£74.58 from Citroen inc. VAT
A Valeo one here on the bay for £27.91: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/CITROEN-C3-Act ... 1831014882
And of course even cheaper ones - but not sure of the quality of some of those - I guess it depends on how much of a pig it is to get at and replace as to which one you get!
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myglaren
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Re: C3 heater problem

Post by myglaren »

The Valeo one looks just the job Marc.
I'm sure access will be difficult.
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